Judges Playing Politics, Illustrated

I'm working on some things today but wanted to make one point: Judges are the really the most sacred priests in America, and there is no more holy ground than the courtroom.

Of course, I'm not a religious person, so that's easy for me to say. The point is that it is the courtroom where people fight for their rights, families, freedom, and fortunes. The idea of a biased judge is one of the scariest concepts imaginable.

That's why they should be as sequestered as possible from the corrupting influences of society.

Which brings us to the next point: Judges in Broward shouldn't be elected. It forces them into the political fray, where they forge alliances with shady political operatives like Barry Harris, Judy Stern, and Jack Shifrel. It forces them to raise money, much of it coming from lawyers who will someday appear before them. The money also comes from power brokers, including the Forman family, who have given to several candidates. It's just not good.

I'm going to report some specific instances of just how ugly this election season has been for some judicial candidates, but this post will be devoted to some photographs of judges schmoozing at various political events. Understand that I'm not claiming these judges are doing anything wrong -- I'm saying that the system right now forces them to get in with the wrong crowd. These are desperate times for Broward County's judiciary. Think about it: Some of these judges are going to wake up on August 25 without the prestigious title and great job. The thought of it, of becoming just another little guy in this great big universe, petrifies them to their core.